By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - The Niles-Buchanan YMCA's Slow Pitch Adult CO-ED Softball League recently kicked off its 2005 season.
This is the fourth year the league has been in action and it continues to grow each year.
There were only five teams involved with the league the first year it started and has doubled since then.
Bret Hendrie, Director of the YMCA and member of the YMCA Old Timers team, admitted there was a need for this type of league in Niles.
Mckean is in charge of the softball league. Some of her responsibilities include getting the teams together, getting sponsors, setting up the schedule and all of the things that go into making this league possible.
Mckean is also the Adult Program Director at the YMCA.
All softball games are played at the field behind Michiana Christian Assembly on Monday and Thursday evenings.
The season began earlier this month and contnues through August. A tournament follows regular league play and takes place in early August.
Teams in this year's league are, Family Casual Tees, Niles Chemical Paint, Intraspect, MACS, YMCA Old Timers, Michiana Christian Assembly, Bosch, Silverbrook Manor, Clear Choice and Patriarchs.
All ASA rules apply in games, plus quite a few more, like five men and five women on the field at a time, no two men can bat back-to-back without taking an out, no stealing or leading off, pitcher and catcher must be of the opposite sex and each team is only allowed three over the fence home runs per game.